Researchers Achieve Fastest Data Transfer In The US

Data centers rely on being able shift huge amounts of data around on demand and as global demand for data grows larger, both in terms of the amount of data we use in our daily lives and in terms of file sizes, the need to move that data around even faster becomes more and more important.

Scientists at the University of Illinois may have found one solution, lasers. The laser devices known as VCSELs are faster, more efficient and more accurate than wired solutions, but the ones tested at the University have proven capable of transmitting data at a rate of 40 gigabits per second!

“Information is not useful if you cannot transmit it. If you cannot transfer data, you just generate garbage. So the transfer technology is very important. High-speed data transfer will allow tele-computation, tele-medicine, tele-instruction. It all depends on how fast you can transfer the information.” said Professor Milton Feng an electrical and computer engineering at the University.

Feng said that with some adjustments the laser system could operate at 60 gigabits per second. This technology could pave the way for more efficient and powerful cloud computing solutions.